National Football League

Commanders reportedly offered Mike Macdonald HC job before he took Seahawks gig

Updated Feb. 5, 2024 6:14 p.m. ET

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The Washington Commanders officially introduced Dan Quinn as their next head coach on Monday, but it didn't come without some drama and roadblocks along the way. 

Washington made serious overtures in attempting to hire Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and then-Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald before hiring Quinn away from the Dallas Cowboys, The Athletic detailed in a report on the Commanders' head coaching search. 

The Commanders made Macdonald an offer to be their next head coach and they believed he was going to accept before the Seattle Seahawks came in and outbid them to hire Macdonald, The Athletic reported.

Johnson, who had been viewed as the favorite to land the Commanders' job for much of the search, pulled out of the running for the position ahead of his second interview with the team on Jan. 30, making that decision while the Commanders were flying to Michigan to meet with him. He informed the Commanders though by sending the team's brass a text message that he was no longer pursuing the job and was remaining with the Lions, according to The Athletic. 

Macdonald became the Seahawks' head coach a day after Johnson pulled out of the running to be the Commanders' head coach. The Commanders interviewed Macdonald on Jan. 29 while the Seahawks interviewed him on Jan. 30, reportedly extending him a six-year offer to become their head coach.

The Commanders "briefly" thought about interviewing Bill Belichick after they were shot down by both Johnson and Macdonald, but new owner Josh Harris wasn't on board with hiring the head coach, according to The Athletic. 

While this marks the second straight offseason that Johnson has pulled out of the running for head coaching vacancies, there were many questions as to why he opted to remain in Detroit for a second straight season. There have been reports in recent days that tried to explain his thinking, with ESPN reporting Saturday that Johnson was "turned off" by the Commanders because of their ownership group's basketball background. 

A front office executive for an NFC team also pointed to the Lions' loss in the NFC Championship Game happening two days before Johnson's scheduled interview for why he might have wanted to stay, reportedly telling The Athletic to "think about what he went through" with that loss. Still, the common sentiment around the league was that the Commanders "got screwed," according to The Athletic. 

How Dan Quinn-Commanders parallels DeMeco Ryans-Texans

Johnson, 37, has been commonly viewed as one of the NFL's best assistants and a coach on the rise over the last couple of seasons. The Lions offense was third in yards per game (394.8) and fifth in scoring (27.1 points per game) this past season in Johnson's second year leading the unit.

Additionally, Johnson helped revive Jared Goff's career as a franchise quarterback. Goff was one of the league's top passers this season, throwing for 4,575 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and 12 interceptions with a 97.9 passer rating. 

Goff and Johnson's offense were major reasons why the Lions had their best season in three decades. They went 12-5 and won two playoff games en route to making their first NFC Championship Game since 1991 before losing to the 49ers.

Whether Johnson becomes an NFL head coach someday still remains to be seen, but a "league source familiar with the situation" told The Athletic that the way he handled the Commanders' situation "is how you ruin your reputation."

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